Mental Imagery and Social Phobia: What Form of Mental Imagery – Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is Most Effective?

Abstract

Mental imagery is the internal experience of representing sensory information that is normally perceived through the senses, entirely in the mind. Visual mental imagery, which is the most studied type of imagery, is commonly referred to as “visualization,” or “seeing through the mind’s eye.” One of the defining features of imagery is that it does not require an external stimulus for the creation of a mental image. Imagery can also be either voluntary or involuntary. Involuntary mental imagery is important as it is the essential element of many psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which is characterized by intrusive “flashbacks” of traumatizing memories in the form of imagery. Mental imagery has general significance in our lives as it is often used as a tool for remembering information, and it is increasingly being used in clinical fields both to study and to help treat mental health disorders. The purpose of this paper is to review literature on the neuroscience of mental imagery, emotion, and its clinical applications. This paper will also discuss different forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and their effectiveness in treating anxiety and mental health disorders, specifically social phobia. Additionally, this paper will attempt to fill in the gap in previous studies by providing insight into which form of CBT may be most effective for treating social phobia.